Billings

[RODOS]

people wanting billings to be a bont type physical leader, it's not going to happen, he's the cream and he's sitting atop a half baked cake. He's just going to get better. This team might not have any massive stars, but I don't mind if we play together and to our strengths. I enjoy a good even performance. Though I wouldn't mind if paddy snagged a bag.

[magnifisaint]

Time to face the facts that Billings isnt going to be a star.
Might not even make it as an average player. < average at this stage and nothing has changed.

Best comparison I can think of is Nathan Brown from the Dogs/Tigers

Same age comparison:

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_p ... 1=O&fid2=O

Con you talk s*** sometimes. He will make you eat your words.

[Con Gorozidis]

people wanting billings to be a bont type physical leader, it's not going to happen, he's the cream and he's sitting atop a half baked cake. He's just going to get better. This team might not have any massive stars, but I don't mind if we play together and to our strengths. I enjoy a good even performance. Though I wouldn't mind if paddy snagged a bag.

I still think a goal a game should be par for Billings. That should be the reasonable expectation for a pick 3 half fwd player.
He is nowhere near that so far. Miles off.

[Con Gorozidis]

Time to face the facts that Billings isnt going to be a star.
Might not even make it as an average player. < average at this stage and nothing has changed.

Best comparison I can think of is Nathan Brown from the Dogs/Tigers

Same age comparison:

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_p ... 1=O&fid2=O

Con you talk s*** sometimes. He will make you eat your words.

Hope so. Really do.

[magnifisaint]

Don't blame Billings. We missed a lot of getable goals tonight and combined with the Eagles ducking and throwing especially in the last quarter we lost.

[Gershwin]

We took Lenny Hayes at no. 11 and it took him a good 4 years to play at the top level we got used to.

[The OtherThommo]

We took Lenny Hayes at no. 11 and it took him a good 4 years to play at the top level we got used to.

A lot are quick to forget and quick to condemn, eh George?

[Con Gorozidis]

We took Lenny Hayes at no. 11 and it took him a good 4 years to play at the top level we got used to.

A lot are quick to forget and quick to condemn, eh George?

That is true.
Hayes was good at 22. And then dominated when he turned 23.
At 21 he was very ordinary.

[SuperSaint]

We took Lenny Hayes at no. 11 and it took him a good 4 years to play at the top level we got used to.

A lot are quick to forget and quick to condemn, eh George?

That is true.
Hayes was good at 22. And then dominated when he turned 23.
At 21 he was very ordinary.

True but his hardness at the ball was showing at 21. Difference is Billings came as a highly skilled and credentialed early draft pick that starred as a junior. Hayes had to learn the game from a rugby dominated NSW town, without the support around him that Billings had.

I want Billings to succeed make no mistake but I understand what Con is trying to say with the highly exposed private school football competition here in Vic. Perhaps Billings is a victim of the hype and expectation we place on the system, like Watts at Brighton Grammar. Too much emphasis is placed on the kids that have affluent backgrounds who excel as juniors in a system that is geared to showcase talent within these inner circles. These kids get 'seen' and talked about more readily on a weekly basis by the influencial circles of the AFL, instead of the kids that have to be noticed in a tougher, harder surburban comp, where the physicality of the game is instilled early (rather than a 'basketball' type of play that the elite schools encourage inadvertently more these days). Your Lockett, Greg Williams type of player would not have been high draft picks in today's standards, as we all know. It's quite apparent too when you watch elite private school footy nowadays. The kids shine at this grade but don't transition as A graders when they are up against others who roam the footy ground like a pack of wolves circling their prey to get the footy. Pretty much skill set takes a back seat when you struggle to win your own ball.

[Con Gorozidis]

A fair comparison is Shaun Higgins. Pick 11 in the 2005 draft. 184 cm. A clever half fwd/mid. Very similar type of player.

The reality is Higgins was averaging a goal a game at the same age as Billings. Higgins managed 32 goals in 2009 when he was just 21. JB has managed just 28 in his entire career so far.

So Jack might come good but he needs to get a wriggle on. I think 2018 is probably his year. If he ends up similar to Higgins I will take that as a win.

[Con Gorozidis]

We took Lenny Hayes at no. 11 and it took him a good 4 years to play at the top level we got used to.

A lot are quick to forget and quick to condemn, eh George?

That is true.
Hayes was good at 22. And then dominated when he turned 23.
At 21 he was very ordinary.

True but his hardness at the ball was showing at 21. Difference is Billings came as a highly skilled and credentialed early draft pick that starred as a junior. Hayes had to learn the game from a rugby dominated NSW town, without the support around him that Billings had.

I want Billings to succeed make no mistake but I understand what Con is trying to say with the highly exposed private school football competition here in Vic. Perhaps Billings is a victim of the hype and expectation we place on the system, like Watts at Brighton Grammar. Too much emphasis is placed on the kids that have affluent backgrounds who excel as juniors in a system that is geared to showcase talent within these inner circles. These kids get 'seen' and talked about more readily on a weekly basis by the influencial circles of the AFL, instead of the kids that have to be noticed in a tougher, harder surburban comp, where the physicality of the game is instilled early (rather than a 'basketball' type of play that the elite schools encourage inadvertently more these days). Your Lockett, Greg Williams type of player would not have been high draft picks in today's standards, as we all know. It's quite apparent too when you watch elite private school footy nowadays. The kids shine at this grade but don't transition as A graders when they are up against others who roam the footy ground like a pack of wolves circling their prey to get the footy. Pretty much skill set takes a back seat when you struggle to win your own ball.

This is exactly my point. The AFL is basically an Old Xavs, OMG organisation. So when an APS kid is half decent - they get over hyped by the inner circles at AFL House.
This is my exact point.
Look at Clayton Oliver. Not even good enough to make the Vic Country side apparently. Certainly wasnt in the AA side. And have a look at him play.
Luckily Melbourne have learnt their lessons from decades of failure and made the call to select him with a high pick. The kid is an absolute monster.

[sainters85]

billings would be good a top team where he can place outside with space instead of being in the contest

[fugazi]

Billings effectively a year behing in development.
Not all players mature straight away....giver him time, he's still contributing, and this is his first year of actually being fit enough to compete.

[BigMart]

Why's he a year behind?

Petracca is a year behind because he had an acl first year

[SuperSaint]

Why's he a year behind?

Petracca is a year behind because he had an acl first year

Exactly. He has had ample time to date. I'm watching Petracca and Cripps right now. They are miles ahead in the way they win their own ball and in the way they have developed physically.

[fugazi]

Why's he a year behind?

Petracca is a year behind because he had an acl first year

Exactly. He has had ample time to date. I'm watching Petracca and Cripps right now. They are miles ahead in the way they win their own ball and in the way they have developed physically.

He's a year behind in his own natural arc of development....which is different for each player.

Michael Tuck played 3 years or more in the Reserves before going on to play 400+ Senior games

Lenny matured a bit later, as already mentioned

Bont and Petracca already have an AFL body

Let's see how he goes through the year, he is holding his place . Let him get another half dozen games to get going and he'll make those incremental steps to being a good, hopefully very good player.

[Joffa Burns]

Billings reminds me of a left footed Shaun Higgins.
All the ability in the world but a combination of injuries and lack of intensity at the contest holding back a potentially good career.

Good news is Higgins has come good at North but it took about 8 years development.

Forget he's a pick 3 and chosen ahead of Bont, that's in the past.
He is currently an average AFL player who needs to toughen up a bit to get the maximum out of himself IMO.

[Con Gorozidis]

billings would be good a top team where he can place outside with space instead of being in the contest

Who would he push out of a spot at Dogs or GWS?

[BadRossco]

SuperSaints initial post was on the money, Billings is a school boy footballer with no desire for the hard ball, our equivalent to Jack Watts. I remember some time back of a possible trade to the bombers, should have taken it, but I guess they would have found a way to have shafted us again in any trade.

[Joffa Burns]

SuperSaints initial post was on the money, Billings is a school boy footballer with no desire for the hard ball, our equivalent to Jack Watts. I remember some time back of a possible trade to the bombers, should have taken it, but I guess they would have found a way to have shafted us again in any trade.

Watts is a good comparison.
Skilled private school boys with little blue collar attitude.

[RODOS]

Billings has a much better field kick - as much due to decision making as technique - than higgins. Think that's more important than the 1 goal a game gap between them.

Billings aside, both bont and oliver, arguably the best picks to come out of the last two drafts, were bolters. Maybe we should be paying more attention to late draft form this year?

[CURLY]

billings would be good a top team where he can place outside with space instead of being in the contest

Who would he push out of a spot at Dogs or GWS?

Biggs
Daniel
Suckling
Lin Jong

Just from Friday nights game.

[Saint wagga]

I think he's doing ok this year. He's still young, building his tank and frame. I still think he can be a grade afl standard, needs a good run at it this year and good things will start to happen!

[Con Gorozidis]

billings would be good a top team where he can place outside with space instead of being in the contest

Who would he push out of a spot at Dogs or GWS?

Biggs
Daniel
Suckling
Lin Jong

Just from Friday nights game.

Biggs - Doubtful. Completely different position and type of player.
Daniel - No.
Suckling - Yeah probably
Lin Jong - Has had 21 tackles in 2 games! 2 games! So no.

[CURLY]

billings would be good a top team where he can place outside with space instead of being in the contest

Who would he push out of a spot at Dogs or GWS?

Biggs
Daniel
Suckling
Lin Jong

Just from Friday nights game.

Biggs - Doubtful. Completely different position and type of player.
Daniel - No.
Suckling - Yeah probably
Lin Jong - Has had 21 tackles in 2 games! 2 games! So no.

He is far better than Daniel let's not be stupid. Biggs is ordinary and you'd play Billings over Jong.